A strong fourth inning propelled No. 2 Oregon State to a 5-2 win over the University of New Mexico baseball team on Friday afternoon in Surprise, Arizona. The game was the Lobos’ season opener.

But a combination of strong pitching and the Beavers’ high octane proved too much for the Lobos (0-1), as they were held to just four hits and were struck out seven times.

The Beavers (1-0), on the other hand, recorded 10 hits, including two home runs and three doubles.

Senior outfielder Danny Collier led off for the Lobos at the top of the first inning, though he swung at the first pitch and hit a flyout. Shortly after, junior shortstop Hayden Schilling was hit on the shoulder by a slider. But Oregon State senior pitcher Luke Heimlich found his groove after that mishap, and struck out junior outfielder Jared Mang while the catcher threw out Schilling trying to steal second.

The senior guard and 3-point sharpshooter missed her first game after tearing her ACL in her left leg, as first reported by the Albuquerque Journal’s Ken Sickenger, though the loss of her didn’t matter much when they played Utah State on the road on Wednesday evening.

The Lobos did, however, take home a 74-50 victory, driving in cruise control the majority of the game behind a stellar defensive effort and a steady stream of scoring.

The University of New Mexico men's tennis team beat the University of the Pacific 4-1 in Stockton, California on Friday, but then saw their four-match unbeaten run come to an end in a 6-1 loss to Santa Clara University on Sunday.

For UNM, the match against the University of the Pacific was the first of several matches to be played against California opposition this season.

Another season, another prediction to win the Mountain West conference.

The University of New Mexico baseball team picked up three of the seven votes from coaches across the conference, and racked up 31 points overall, to be the favorite to win the 2018 Mountain West title, according to a release from the conference on Tuesday.

Of the seven votes, coaches are not allowed to choose their own teams. Instead, they must cast a vote for one of the other six schools.

The University of New Mexico announced last week that it would be suspending its head football coach, Bob Davie, for a period of 30 days — but Davie has quickly countered by filing an appeal.

University of New Mexico Interim President Chaouki Abdallah released a statement on Thursday, detailing the finding and recommendations of some recent investigations — as well as news of the suspension and additional measures that were outlined.

The following day, Davie released a statement saying he was appealing the decision. As the head coach pointed out, there was no specific reason given for his suspension.

“None of these three investigations determined that I had violated any University policy,” he said in the statement. “I have appealed the suspension imposed by Interim President Abdallah to the Board of Regents.”

Winning on the road continued to present challenges for the University of New Mexico men's basketball team, as the Lobos were unable to close things out in Colorado against the Air Force Academy on Saturday.

New Mexico (12-14, 6-5 MW) was without the services of senior Joe Furstinger, whose inside presence was probably something the Lobos could have used — especially in the second half.

Furstinger was serving a one-game suspension by the Mountain West for an unsportsmanlike act as time expired in a 73-71 loss to Boise State on Tuesday. The senior seemed to take ownership of the mistake, issuing an apology via Twitter to the Lobos and the opposing team — and specifically the player, Marcus Dickinson, he shoved at the end of the game.

Blue-collar. That’s how senior Danny Collier described this new-look team, which features 17 freshmen as well as a few new transfers, marking a much different team than a season ago.

“It’s always blue-collar,” Collier said. “We come out to the yard everyday, work hard, and that’s all you can do. What happens on the field happens on the field. But the work, the preparation that you bring to the table each day, that’s what’s gonna get you there.”

It’s fitting, since the Lobos have lost the likes of Luis Gonzalez, Carl Stajduhar, Andre Vigil and Jack Zoellner —all who played integral roles at the plate and in their respective positions. And making up for those losses, means working harder as a collective unit.

Still, UNM poses a plethora of power on the offensive end. Junior Jared Mang, who led the Lobos a season ago in batting average at .373, is back this season, while Collier (.328) and junior infielder Hayden Schilling (.317) are also notable returnees whose bats played an integral role.

Last Monday night, the Rio Grande Rivalry was put on the back burner as the Lobos and Aggies joined up with New Mexico Senate and House legislators to generate funds for cancer.

The 2018 Hoops for Hope event saw Democrats and Republicans alike, play and support each other as the participants helped raise money for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center's patient assistance program.

But it wasn't just political rivals who put their differences aside — there were also two opposing college football coaches who played a hand in the action by leading the legislators turned basketball players for one night at the Santa Fe Indian School.

Putting the ball in the hoop, for most of the game, was a problem for the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team.

But a strong fourth quarter effort, and a key 4-point play from senior guard Laneah Bryan, willed the Lobos to a tough victory over Air Force, 57-49, at the Pit on Saturday afternoon.

Bryan, who played 26 minutes off of the bench, sunk a 3-pointer while also getting fouled. She drained it, as well as the free throw after, to put the Lobos (19-7, 7-6 Mountain West) up 50-48 with 5:25 left in the game—a lead they wouldn’t relinquish either.

The Lobos shot just 32.1 percent from the field, while also only making two 3s, both of which came by way of Bryan. But it wasn’t just the Lobos’ missing shots as much as it was Air Force (2-21, 2-10) locking down on defense.